Consumer Watchdog is a (fiercely) independent consumer rights and advocacy organisation campaigning on behalf of the consumers of Botswana, helping them to know their rights and to stand up against abuse. Contact us at watchdog@bes.bw, call us on +267 3904582 or find us on Facebook by searching for Consumer Watchdog Botswana. Everything we do for the consumers of Botswana has always been and always will be entirely free.

Saturday, 26 March 2016

The Voice - Consumer's Voice

They broke my TV!

I need help regarding my TV that got cracked whilst being transported by a removals company. My household goods was being transported by them from Maun to Gaborone by the company. Collection of my goods was delayed because my employer took time to pay off the agreed amount to the company but finally something was agreed on. I went there and collected my dirty stuffy household goods. They didn’t check anything with me when I got there, my truck was loaded immediately. When I got home I found out that my TV had cracks. I notified the Maun manager. The Maun manager then referred me to the Gaborone manager where I failed to get help. I was just told that there is nothing that can be done even if I contact high manager I will still get the same answer. Please help me resolve this issue. My TV is still only about 3 months. I cant be paying for something that I’m not going to be using.

You are right to feel wronged. The company had an obligation to treat your property with the same level of care that you would have done if you’d moved your goods yourself. Correction, a HIGHER level of care because they were being paid to take care of them.

I suggest you contact the company and demand to know what insurance polices they currently have that cover the damage to your property. Any reputable company will have such insurance and they should have told you about it before they moved your goods. I don’t even think that it’s acceptable, as some shipping and courier companies do, to allow you NOT to have insurance. Insurance should be the norm when a company transports your property for you. But that’s just my opinion.

I think you should write to the company and ask for details of the insurance they have and also remind them that Section 15 (1) (a) of the Consumer Protection Regulations requires a company like theirs to deliver services “with reasonable care and skill”. Ask them what they plan to do to fix your problem.

We’ll also get in touch with them to see if they can explain themselves.

Just seven days?

I bought a microwave at from a store in Gaborone. This microwave was from the display. After sometime I realised it was not a built in for my designed kitchen. I pleaded with the management to take it back. When I returned it we realised that the knob for turning the plate was missing. As it was not checked when leaving the shop we could not know whether the microwave left the shop with that knob or not. They took it back and gave me a voucher for my money. I did not mind that. Now my problem is that the want me to use the voucher (P1 200) within 7 days. My argument is that I have not won this voucher and there is nothing that I want to buy within the 7 days, I wanted to use that money at my convenient time as I am planning to buy a fridge in future and this is my money not a gift.

First things first. The store has actually been quite generous in taking back the microwave. They weren’t under any obligation to do that. It wasn’t their fault that the microwave didn’t fit into your kitchen, was it? They weren’t obliged to do anything to help you, particularly as it was missing a part that it’s possible you lost. I think you’re lucky to be dealing with a store that wants to help you out.

Meanwhile this business about the voucher only lasting seven days seems a bit unreasonable to me. I understand that it can’t last forever but a week seems a rather short time. Maybe a month or two, maybe even 90 days would be more reasonable.

Given that the store have been reasonable so far I think it’s worth asking them nicely to extend the validity of the voucher to 90 days. It’s worth asking at least. We’ll also be happy to contact them to see if they can’t continue to be a generous company who want to help their customers.

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We support consumers in Botswana, educating them on their rights, helping them to fix problems and exposing scams. Email us at watchdog@bes.bw, or call on +267 3904582 or fax on +267 3911763. It's all free, you've nothing to lose!